Hardware Diagnostics & Repair

61 guides for Hardware Diagnostics & Repair problems on Windows — find yours, then get the step-by-step fix in the app.

What this category is really about

This is physical, inside-the-case territory — a battery that's swelling, thermal paste that's dried out, RAM that's failing, a motherboard that won't post. Some of it is genuinely serious (a PC that won't turn on at all, a laptop with a swollen battery) and some of it is routine maintenance that just looks scary the first time (dust buildup, a noisy fan).

The stakes are also different here than in most other categories: getting a diagnosis wrong before opening a case can mean spending money on the wrong part, or in a few cases, doing something unsafe. Telling apart "this needs a professional" from "this is a straightforward part swap" matters as much as the fix itself.

When these problems tend to show up

Why guessing at hardware causes real, physical risk

A software problem that gets fixed the wrong way usually just doesn't help. A hardware problem that gets misdiagnosed can mean opening up the wrong component, working around something that's actually a safety issue (like a swollen battery), or spending money on a part that was never the problem.

WindowsHelper is being designed to help separate "safe to investigate yourself," "needs a specific part," and "stop and get professional help" before pointing at any specific hardware fix — never the other way around.

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Coming soon in the app

Find your problem above — the full step-by-step fix is in the WindowsHelper phone app, coming soon. The free PC Companion (available now) connects your phone to your PC.

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Common questions

How do I know if this is something I can fix myself?
It depends on the specific issue — some are straightforward part swaps, others (like a swollen battery) genuinely call for professional help, and telling them apart matters before opening anything.